Creating Plate and Spoon

We need a plate and a spoon!

Most plates and cutlery are made for people who don’t feel the need to use them to test the laws of gravity. They’re made for people who don’t wonder what a plate full of porridge sounds like when it hits the floor. Children have a slightly different take on things. So when we decided to develop a plate and spoon, we were eager to find out what our customers really needed.
We studied children while they ate, and noted that:
- children often grip the spoon at the far end of the handle
- children switch between using their left and right hands up until about the age of three – so a good spoon must be usable in either hand
- round plates and bowls make it hard to scoop food onto the spoon, they’re easier to slide around on the table, and they’re easier to turn upside down or throw onto the floor.

So what did we do?

It was important for us – as always – to focus on user-friendliness. We developed the spoon first: a spoon that is thicker at the end of the handle, to make it easier to hold. We also added a notch on the underside to stop it from sliding down into the bowl.
As for the plate, we added a rubber ring on the underside to stop it from sliding around. We made the plate a three-leaf clover shape with corners inside and edges that slope slightly inwards.  This made it easier to scoop food onto the spoon. We made the outer edges of the plate sloping, to make it harder for the child to bang it up and down or to throw it away.
  

Done!

The entire process from concept to product took four years. Both products underwent countless detailed tests by families with small children and test institutes. And they were made from a food-safe plastic that is both dishwasher and microwave-safe. The result is the BabyBjörn Plate and Spoon that make it easy for children to eat by themselves.